mare size

Question
I have a 12.2 hh black mare that is almost 3.  She is beautiful and sweet, but is a little too small for my family to ride.  We were considering breeding her to a black and white paint stud.  I am not exactly sure of his size, but he is not quite as big as our 15 hh geldings.  We are hoping to get a foal a little bigger than her that we could eventually ride.  She was a little bigger than her own dam.  Before we breed her, though, I want to make sure it would be safe.  Also, what is the likelihood that she will have a black and white paint?

Answer
Hi Christina,
              Given the size of your mare, I would not breed her to anything bigger then 14.0 hands. It can be extremely dangerous to the mare and foal. You can lose the mare, the foal or both. If the mare is able to carry safely to term and deliver the foal, then the foal will be around 13-13.2 hands. The mare has a 50/50 chance of having a black and white foal. The color of the foal will also depend on what color the dam is.

Lisa